Remedy Entertainment has abandoned yellow waypoints in its open-world action game Control: Resonance. In an interview on the Dropping Frames podcast, Game Director Mikael Kasurinen explained that the team now uses lighting and environmental objects to guide players, hoping they will discover their own path forward.
Yellow markers typically indicate which platform edges are climbable and which doors or crates deserve attention. In Control: Resonance, these cues are integrated into the environment. Kasurinen stated that the team made this choice intentionally, as overly explicit hints can make players feel like the path has already been decided for them.
Discussing approaches in other games, Kasurinen mentioned the "scent trails" leading to objectives in Marvel's Wolverine, considering such guidance too obvious. He hopes players of Control: Resonance will question their route, look back, and confirm whether there might be alternative paths.
Kasurinen also acknowledged that some players might not know where to go at the beginning of Control: Resonance. However, he believes this isn't necessarily a bad thing: he wants players to engage in exploration rather than simply following prompts.
Control: Resonance is the sequel to the 2019 game Control, featuring a larger-scale open-world design. Despite the change in scale, the team has retained the navigation approach that encourages players to find their own way. The game is now available on consoles and PC.